- Date Of Birth: August 16, 1917
- Date Of Death: October 2, 2016
- State: Indiana
Dr. Thomas R. Pilot, Sr., 99, of Notre Dame, IN, died of natural causes on October 2, 2016, in the company of his family at Schubert Villa, Holy Cross Village, Notre Dame, IN.
After receiving his degree from the Illinois College of Optometry, Tom practiced in Evansville, IN, and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He became a carrier pilot on the USS Saratoga, flying fighters and dive bombers in the South Pacific in World War II. Second only to his family, flying was the love of his life.
Following the war, Tom subsequently moved with his family to South Bend in 1946 where he established a highly successful optometry practice. The entire 36 years of his practice in South Bend was spent downtown in a number of different locations on Michigan Street.
At the age of 53, Tom ran in the Boston Marathon, completing the course in four and a quarter hours and accomplishing one of his major personal goals.
Tom enjoyed golfing at Morris Park Country Club where he was a member for 59 years. He carried his clubs for about 54 of those years. After moving to Holy Cross Village in 2007, it was a common sight to also see him practicing his swing on the lawn or riding his bike with a small set of clubs to play at Burke Memorial Golf Course at Notre Dame. He continued to carry his clubs at Burke for 9 holes until he couldn’t do it anymore.
Tom and his wife, Catherine (Kay), were very accomplished dancers. Each had learned how to dance with the big bands in Chicago before WWII. They danced for many years at Morris Park Country Club and with the Assemblers Club.
Tom was born on August 16, 1917, in Chicago, IL, to the late Thomas and Anna (Maree) Pilot. He was also preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Catherine A. Pilot; and four sisters, Olga O’Toole, Esther Neumaier, Mary Conway, and Emily Threlkeld.
He is survived by his three children, Thomas R. (Cynthia) Pilot, Jr. of South Bend, IN; Karol (John) Kintz of Granger, IN; and Marianne Pilot (Dennis Osborne) of Raleigh, NC. Also surviving are his five grandchildren and six great grandchildren, Kathryn (Jason), William and Peter Scarlett of Niles, MI; John P. Kintz, Jr. and Kathryn Kintz, of Mill Valley, CA; Larelise Kintz Kobernuss (David), of Seattle, WA; Kristian Kintz and Sophia Kintz of South Bend, IN; and Allyson (Timothy), Kristian, and Gabriel Lodholz, of Maple Grove, MN; six nieces; and five nephews.
Friday October 07 2016
St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park 375 W. Cleveland Road
Granger, IN
